BackTrial Periods and Completion Policies: A Comparative Study of Virtual Schools in the United States and Canada - Abigail Gonzales & Michael Barbour

Variations in virtual school course enrollment trial periods and course completion policies impact the comparability of school attrition statistics. Researchers contacted 170 U.S. and 62 Canadian virtual schools. Three quarters of responders had trial periods, a practice more common in the U.S., U.S. course completion definitions appeared more stringent. Policy differences by region and school type are discussed. Researchers recommend adopting multiple measures for calculating student attrition to enable meaningful comparisons among virtual and brick and mortar schools.